University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Breaks Notre Dame's 20-Game Win Streak
4/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
STORRS, CT (April 27) – With back-to-back homeruns in the bottom of the sixth, the University of Connecticut softball team broke Notre Dame’s 20 game win streak and handed the Fighting Irish their first BIG EAST loss in a 2-1 win in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday at the UConn Softball Stadium. Notre Dame came back to win game two, 6-3 to improve to 31-12 overall and 12-1 in BIG EAST games. The Huskies stand at 19-20-1 and 7-5 in conference play.
Notre Dame pulled ahead early in game one, scoring a single run in the second inning. Andria Bledsoe got on base with a walk, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on Liz Hartmann’s single.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth when the Huskies knocked back-to-back homeruns to pull ahead. Maggie Arbogast (Ambler, PA) fired a shot over the left field fence to tie the game. On the very next at-bat, Kim Castner (Forked River, NJ) sent the ball deep into left center to score the winning run.
In their last chance to score, Notre Dame failed to get a runner on base. Their best chance came from Megan Ciolli with two outs. Ciolli sent a short ball into left center field as center fielder Nikki Ribeiro (Norton, MA) ran and made a diving catch to end the game.
Barb Cook (Conklin, NY) earned the win for UConn, striking out five batters and improving her record to 6-6. Heather Booth suffered the loss and now owns a record of 16-6.
The Fighting Irish started off game two with Ciolli scoring after getting on base with a double to right center field. They added another single run the following inning before the Huskies answered back in the bottom of the second. Castner hit a double to center and was replaced by Megan Enders (Middletown, MD) on the bases, who scored on a single by Jen Ward (Gales Ferry, CT).
Ashleigh Campen (Rougemont, NC) hit homer number three on the day, tying the second game at two when she sent one flying over the center field fence.
Notre Dame replied with a three-run homerun the following inning from Ciolli. The Irish tallied a total of four runs in the fourth to pull ahead 6-2.
Connecticut put one more on the board in the fifth to end the scoring and fell to Notre Dame, 6-3 in game two.
Claire Hesson (Kennebunkport, ME) started on the mound for UConn and was replaced by Michelle Caouette (Wynantskill, NY) in the fifth, who struck out the first six batters she faced and a total of eight in three innings. Carrie Wisen started for Notre Dame and was relieved by Steffany Stenglein in the fifth. Heather Booth came entered the game in the sixth inning and finished the game, striking out three batters.
The Huskies return to action on Monday, April 28 at 1 p.m. when the face Syracuse for a makeup doubleheader at the UConn Softball Stadium.
